Collaborative Unemployment Management System and Method for Preserving the Economic, Professional and Personal Stability of Unemployed Workers and for Tracking their Outcomes

Abstract

A system and method for preserving the professional, economic and personal stability of workers who become unemployed and for tracking their outcomes through periods of employment/unemployment and beyond. The system makes use of an Affinity Service Organization™ (ASO™), which creates a permanent infrastructure and serves as a clearinghouse for managing the stability of workers. The ASO™ will allow for the delivery of economic stability, career management, job training/re-training and re-employment services to unemployed workers. In addition, it provides an electronic platform for the exchange of services, payment of fees associated with certain services and collection and recording of appropriate income withholding, FICA, FUTA, and SUTA taxes for its working members. The system is particularly useful in reducing unemployment by providing workers a wider range of employment options and for generating new tax revenues for local, state and federal taxing authorities.

1 . A novel use of an affinity organization hereinafter referred to as an “Affinity Services Organization™” (ASO™) through which a Career Management System (CMS) is delivered to unemployed workers (UWs) which shall consist of five ( 5 ) service modules:
 Career Assessment/Development/Guidance (CADG), Job Training/Re-training referral (JTR), Economic Stability (ES), Enhanced Re-employment (ER) and Tracking Long-term Outcome (TLO) of UW through collaborative efforts of the following key stakeholders: 
 (a) unemployed workers (UW) seeking Career Assessment/Development/Guidance (CADG), Job Training/Re-training referral (JTR), Economic Stability (ES) and Enhanced Re-employment (ER) services, 
 (b) placement agents (PA) seeking to establish agent/client relationships with unemployed workers (UW) for provision of CADG, JTR, ES, ER and TLO services which ultimately lead to job placement of UWs with revenue generation opportunities for PAs, 
 (c) companies (CO) seeking to assist in transitioning unemployed workers to said ASO™, to post job openings and/or identify suitable candidates to fill job openings either independently or with the assistance of a placement agent (PA) and, 
 (d) governmental agencies (GA) seeking to make job training/re-training opportunities available to unemployed workers, to determine or verify federal, state or local payroll withholdings and tax deductions for regulatory compliance and to collect same from designated accounts, or to access captured data for longitudinal analyses and planning relative to unemployed or re-employed labor force. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  including means to establish said ASO™ as a membership organization (perpetual infrastructure) to which unemployed workers (UW) will transition upon separation from their employer for delivery of Career Management System services (CMS) in preparation for job placement. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  including means for said UW of said ASO™ to receive and accept job offers from companies wishing to engage them in direct-hire or contract work opportunities, and whereby acceptance of a direct-hire offer from said company by said UW will result in a new traditional employee/employer relationship between said UW and said company (employer);
 and whereby acceptance of a contract offer from said contract employer (CE) by said UW will result in a contract placement (CP) between said CE and a said UW hereinafter referred to as “universal employee” (UE). 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step to define “universal employee” (UE) as a member of said ASO™ who is not in receipt of any direct-hire offer from any company but who is available to accept contract offers from said CE wishing to engage them for a specified duration of time, and whereby said UE is entitled to the same protection, rights, privileges and coverage afforded the traditional employee and agrees to be bound by the same legal statutes governing payment of appropriate income and social security taxes and other authorized payroll deductions from eligible contract earnings. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step to ensure that said contract employer (CE) that enters into a contract agreement with said universal employee (UE) agrees to pay as part of the contract billable rate (CBR) the appropriate FICA, FUTA and SUTA tax rate and to provide certification of appropriate Workers Compensation coverage for said universal employee (UE) for the duration of the contract agreement. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  including means to prolong or sustain the economic stability of said UW by establishing and maintaining an interest-bearing FDIC Severance Fund account for voluntary deposit of severance awards by said UW who separates from their employer with severance award, from which salary, group benefits, FICA, and other appropriate federal, state or local income tax deductions are made periodically by said member until said severance award is exhausted or job placement occurs. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  including means to pay for the continuance of said UW's group health insurance benefits from prior employer or for another group health insurance as determined by whichever may be more competitive or which may provide the greater coverage. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  further including the means for said ASO™ to be designated as “payroll processor of record” for said UE who enters into a CP with said contract employer (CE) and both parties mutually agree to establish and maintain an independent working relationship for a specified duration of time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising the step for said ASO™ to collect appropriate FICA, FUTA, SUTA and local, state and federal income taxes from contract earnings of said universal employee (UE), and to deposit taxes into appropriately designated tax accounts set up on ASO™ portal. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step for authorized governmental agencies (AGA) to access appropriate tax accounts via a role-specific gateway/dashboard for withdrawal of taxes collected on behalf of universal employees. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  including means for maintaining connectivity with and tracking the long-term outcome (TLO) of UW through period of employment/unemployment and beyond. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  including the means for said unemployed workers (UW) to establish membership status with said ASO™ thereby making said UW eligible to receive the full range of ASO™ members' Career Management System (CMS) services which shall include Career Assessment/Development/Guidance (CADG), Job Training/Re-training referral (JTR), Economic Stability (ES), Enhanced Re-employment (ER), Tracking of Long-term Outcome (TLO), resume and profile development and all other rights, benefits and privileges of said ASO™ members. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step for said unemployed worker (UW) to identify a Placement Agent Subscriber (PAS) to provide said ASO™ Career Management System (CMS) services in the specific industry and professional discipline of said UW, and for the execution of an agent/client agreement between said UW and said PAS and for the entry and setup of said unemployed worker (UW) into said ASO™ database. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising the step for establishing the basis for said Placement Agent Subscriber (PAS) to receive a full or split placement fee upon direct-hire or contract placement of said unemployed worker (UW) with whom agent/client relationship has been established. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the alternative step for said unemployed worker (UW) to obtain membership status with said ASO™ through an Authorized Company Subscriber (ACS) wherein said ACS is the current or most recent employer of said UW and said ACS has received authorization from said ASO™ to provide Career Management System (CMS) services in the specific industry and professional discipline of said UW, and for the execution of an agent/client agreement between said UW and said ACS for the entry and setup of said unemployed worker UW into said ASO™ database. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the step for establishing the basis for said ACS to receive full or split placement fee credit or other consideration upon direct-hire or contract placement of said UW with whom agent/client relationship has been established. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  including means for said unemployed worker (UW) to terminate said agent/client relationship with said placement agent subscriber (PAS) and to select another PAS for establishment of new agent/client relationship, which best serves the needs of said UW. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  including means for said unemployed worker (UW) to terminate said agent/client relationship with said ACS and to select a placement agent subscriber (PAS) for establishment of new agent/client relationship which best serves the needs of said UW. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  including means for said placement agents (PA) to obtain certification from said ASO™ to provide full range of said ASO™ CMS service modules to unemployed workers (UW) which shall include CADG, JTR, ES, ER, TLO and resume and profile development, thereby establishing PAS status. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  including means for said companies (CO) to obtain certification from said ASO™ to provide full range of said ASO™ CMS service modules to unemployed workers (UW) which shall include CADG, JTR, ES, ER, TLO and resume and profile development, thereby establishing ACS status. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  including means for said governmental agencies (GA) to obtain authorization from said ASO™ as essential stakeholder for furtherance of said ASO™ CMS, and to gain access to said ASO™ database thereby entitling said governmental agency (GA) to all rights, benefits and privileges of an Authorized Governmental Agency (AGA). 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1  including means for said unemployed workers UWs to increase awareness and gain access to a wider number and range of employment opportunities by establishing and maintaining the Global Employment Network. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  including means to and to improve the speed and accuracy of matching the right candidates' skills and background with the right job opportunities with Universal Mapping technology. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1  including means to capture and maintain longitudinal work history, education, professional certifications and job skills data for tracking the long-term outcome of workers.